Like housing, education access, and economic stability, work is a social and structural determinant of health that is shaped by broader economic, political, and cultural factors. Work, like many other social institutions, is more than the sum total of an individual’s daily experience. Work has the potential to support—or undercut—physical and mental health, personal growth and fulfillment, and the stability of individuals, families, and communities (among other factors). One factor that underlies the institution of work in the U.S. is power, or the ability to make what one wants happen. Power takes many forms: the power to make decisions, determine what matters, distribute resources, and even shape our worldview. And power affects who has access to what kind of work, what that work looks like, and how that work is organized, compensated, and supported.
The Utah Center for Promotion of Work Equity Research (U-POWER), a NIOSH-funded Center of Excellence in Total Worker Health®, is seeking proposals for research pilot projects from researchers across disciplines that investigate questions of work, health, and power. We welcome investigations of power across the spectrum of influence, from interpersonal dynamics to the “economic, cultural, political, and social structures that shape the distribution of material and symbolic power and resources.”1
All applications for the 2024-2025 year are due by November 15, 2024. The anticipated performance period is February 2025 – February 2026. The full RFP is available here and detailed application instructions are available here.
- Heller JC, Givens ML, Johnson SP, Kindig DA. Keeping It Political and Powerful: Defining the Structural Determinants of Health. Milbank Q. 2024;102(2):351-366. doi:10.1111/1468-0009.12695
Total Worker Health® is an approach to work and worker well-being from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) that seeks to “lead a better reality where work enhances daily life and contributes to physical, mental, and emotional health.”1 The Total Worker Health (TWH) approach to worker well-being invites researchers across disciplines to consider how we can protect against work-related safety and health hazards while promoting the well-being of every worker. To learn more about the history and rationale behind TWH, visit our page here. To learn more about TWH research being conducted across the country, visit this NIOSH page.
- Chosewood LC, Schill AL, Chang CC, Childress AM, Hudson HL, Tamers SL, Howard J. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Total Worker Health ® Program : The Third Decade. J Occup Environ Med. 2024 Jan 1;66(1):6-8. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002964.
U-POWER’s Research Pilot Project Program (RPPP) is interested in innovative research from any discipline that illuminates connections between work, health, and power. We welcome work across the translational spectrum from research that identifies or develops our understanding of issues to research that explores what changes we could make within individual workplaces, industries, or within our larger society. Potential areas for projects include (but are not limited to):
- Working conditions that support or diminish well-being (e.g. hazards, stressors, scheduling practices, remote work, breaks, shift work, etc.)
- Employment conditions (e.g. gig, temporary, or otherwise precarious work)
- Worker rights and protections
- Worker experiences and their impact on health and well-being
- Technology at work, including surveillance, AI, and robotics
- The connections between work and wider health disparities
- Interpersonal relationships at work (e.g. supportive management, collaboration)
- Workplace environments
- The future of work, including forces such as climate change, globalization, and other forces that will transform how we see work in the future
- Policies, practices, and programs on a variety of levels, from organizational-level policies to laws and regulations
Students or Employees at Institutions of Higher Ed: Prospective PIs applying to the U-POWER RPPP can be graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, or faculty at any institution of higher education. Investigators may be from any disciplinary background.
Other Interested Applicants: Applicants who are not students or employees of an institution of higher education may apply using a multiple PI (mPI) model, where the mPI is a faculty member at an institution of higher education.
Priority will be given to applications that include new interdisciplinary teams, interdisciplinary approaches, junior investigators, or investigators from under-represented groups.
Applications must be submitted by November 15, 2024 for funding beginning February 1, 2025. Applicants do not need to be affiliated with the University of Utah to apply. Please visit this page for application forms and templates. Questions should be directed to Dr. Camie Schaefer at camie.schaefer@utah.edu.
- Cover page. The cover page is a fillable PDF that asks for contact information for the PI and an administrator, information related to additional review criteria or for evaluation of the RPPP program.
- Specific Aims. The specific aims should succinctly (1 page) outline the context and rationale of the proposed project, list clear and achievable specific aims, and explain the overall impact of the proposed study.
- Research Strategy. The research strategy should be no more than 6 pages and should include three sections:
- Significance. This section should describe the justification for the proposed study and how it will illuminate the relationship between work, health, and power. This section should also explain how the proposed project aligns with NIOSH strategic goals and U-POWER vision and mission.
- Innovation. Explain how your project is innovative (e.g. develops new insights, explores new scientific avenues, has a novel hypothesis, will create new knowledge, or will refine, improve, or propose a new application of an existing concept or measure).
- Approach. The research strategy should include a timeline and should consider rigor and reproducibility as defined by NIH. Additionally, this section should include an Extramural Funding Plan that identifies specific program announcements and agency priorities along with a timeline of anticipated application.
- Biosketch. Modified short biosketches (2 pages each) should be provided in the NIH format for PI and Key Personnel, including the mentor (if applicable).
- Budget and Budget Justification. Optional templates have been provided for the budget and justification. Regardless of format, the budget and justification should describe expenses in the following categories: i) personnel (students only), ii) equipment, iii) travel, iv) supplies and other direct costs, and v) indirect costs. No faculty or staff salary may be included in the budget.
- Protection for Human Subjects. If the study involves human subjects, applicants must either identify the category for exception under 45 CFR Part 46 or justify the involvement of human subjects and the proposed protections from research risk. The applicant must address inclusion of women, minorities, and individuals across the lifespan. Applicants are encouraged to use the Single IRB process if multiple institutions are involved in the study. If the study involves animals or biohazards, applicants must provide appropriate justifications.
- Mentorship Plan. If the PI is a graduate student or post-doctoral scholar, the mentor should provide a signed letter that describes how they will provide mentorship for the PI. If the PI is not affiliated with an institution of higher education, the mPI should provide a signed letter that describes how they will engage with and mentor the PI.
All investigators, but particularly junior investigators and graduate students, are encouraged to request support from U-POWER staff and investigators before submitting a pilot project application. Interested applicants should contact Dr. Camie Schaefer, Associate Director of U-POWER (camie.schaefer@utah.edu) for more information on any of the following programs:
- Writing assistance and pre-submission review
- Scientific concept review
- Grant-related professional development activities (e.g. mock peer reviews and pre-submission application critiques)
- Assistance with finding a community partner for collaboration
- Assistance with identifying a mentor
Interested applicants are encouraged to reach out for assistance as soon as possible, but at least two weeks before the application due date. Recipients of assistance are not obligated to submit a final application, nor are they guaranteed successful funding.
The RPPP review committee is composed of invited individuals with appropriate expertise, including junior and senior investigators and investigators with U-POWER and other Centers for Excellence in TWH. Reviewers will utilize the NIH scoring criteria (Significance, Investigator(s), Innovation, Approach, and Environment) and consider additional review criteria for this announcement (new interdisciplinary teams, interdisciplinary approaches, junior investigators, investigators from underrepresented groups, and alignment with U-POWER themes) to assign an Overall Impact score. Each application will be reviewed by 2-3 reviewers. Following review, applicants will receive a packet containing the award decision, a summary of the review discussion, overall score, and written peer reviews.